67% of Filipinos oppose Charter change, says Pulse Asia survey

Two in three Filipinos or 67 percent were against current moves to change the 1987 Constitution, a Pulse Asia survey released Monday showed.

Of the 67 percent, 37 percent disapproved changing the Constitution now and in the future while 30 percent were not up for it at present but may be open for Charter change in the future, the survey noted.

Pulse Asia’s survey, conducted from June 15 to 21, also showed that 55 percent of Filipinos were aware of the proposal to amend the 1987 Constitution while 74 percent admitted having “little” or “almost no knowledge” about the 1987 Constitution – the primary law of the land.

In the same survey, 62 percent said they were not in favor of federalism while 28 percent were in favor.

Of the 62 percent, 34 percent were opposing it now and in the future and 28 percent were being against it at present but may be open to it in the future.

The survey showed that 69 percent had “little to no knowledge” about the federal system of government while 31 percent said they knew a “great deal to sufficient” about the federal system of government.

The survey done among 1, 8000 respondents nationwide was conducted two weeks before the Consultative Committee – tasked to review the 1987 Constitution and draw a new Charter – submitted its final draft proposal for a federal constitution to President Rodrigo Duterte. /kga